Forest head orders spruce-up of state orchidarium
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, April 15 2025: Principal chief conservator of forests & head of forest force (PCCF & HoFF) and additional chief secretary (TCI and TA & Hills), Anurag Bajpai, on Sunday conducted an inspection of the State Orchidarium at Khonghampat, Imphal West, directing officials to improve management of the orchidarium ahead of the peak flowering season in May.

Accompanied by chief conservator of forests (Territorial-I & Wildlife) L Joykumar, and DFO (central forest division) Vikram Nadhe, the PCCF & HoFF reviewed various facilities and conservation efforts at the Orchidarium, which is overseen by DFO (Wildlife) Th Autumn as in-charge of the facility.

During the inspection, Anurag Bajpai expressed dissatisfaction over the current state of affairs, pointing to inadequate maintenance, especially the lack of watering and moisture retention for orchids kept in earthen pots and ground plots.

He noted that signage for Orchid species was missing in most areas, and emphasised the need for immediate labelling of plants.

He also raised concerns over the impact of dust from the construction of the National Highway and hill cutting, which poses threat to the sensitive orchid species.

With tourist footfall expected to rise during the peak flowering season, the PCCF & HoFF instructed DFO (Wildlife) to fully utilise available resources, including gardeners, and to ensure regular maintenance and watering.

He ordered immediate improvements to the entry path, interpretation hall, orchid display house, 'Hawa Mahals', cloakroom, trek route, and public and VIP toilets.

He also directed the development of a project for a sprinkler system to maintain moisture throughout the Orchidarium.

The chief conservator of forests was asked to conduct regular monitoring, while DFO (Central Forest Division) was directed to develop an eco-tourism circuit connecting the State Orchidarium, Bambusetum, Arboretum, Biodiversity Park, and Heingang Nagar Van via a trek route.

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